Routine exposure to blood within hostel environments might help to explain elevated levels of hepatitis C amongst homeless drug users: Insights from a qualitative study

Spilt and dried blood were routine features in hostel environments for homeless drug users.

• Participants noted that the presence of blood in large night shelters is common.
• The hepatitis C virus can survive outside the human body for weeks or months, potentially increasing transmission risks.
• Hostel providers were often slow to clean up blood and bodily waste, leaving residents to manage the situation themselves.
• The frequent exposure to blood in hostels may help explain higher rates of hepatitis C among homeless drug users.
• There is a need for further research to systematically examine the relationship between hepatitis C and hostel living conditions.

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